Body Organization, Homeostasis, Basic Chemistry, and Terminology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical terminology, directional terms, body regions, planes, cavities, membranes, matter, energy, atomic structure, and chemical principles from the lecture notes.

Standard Anatomical Position

The standard reference posture where the body is erect, feet are slightly apart, and palms face forward with thumbs pointing away from the body.

Directional Terms

Descriptive terminology used to explain the location of one body structure in relation to another structure, always based on standard anatomical position.

Anterior (Ventral)

Describes the front of or toward the front of the body.

Posterior (Dorsal)

Describes the back of or toward the back of the body.

Superior (Cranial)

Describes a position above or higher than another body part, toward the top of the head.

Inferior (Caudal)

Describes a position below or lower than another part of the body, near or toward the tail (coccyx in humans).

Lateral

Describes a position away from the midline of the body or on the outer side of the body.

Medial

Describes a position in or toward the midline of the body or on the inner side of the body.

Proximal

Describes a position in a limb that is nearer to the point of attachment to the trunk of the body.

Distal

Describes a position in a limb that is farther from the point of attachment to the trunk of the body.

Superficial

Describes a position closer to the surface of the body.

Deep

Describes a position farther from the surface of the body.

Cephalic Region

Anatomical term referring to the head.

Cervical Region

Anatomical term referring to the neck region.

Thoracic Region

Anatomical region referring to the chest, including sternal, axillary, and mammary regions.

Brachial Region

Anatomical term referring to the arm.

Antebrachial Region

Anatomical term referring to the forearm.

Carpal Region

Anatomical term referring to the wrist.

Femoral Region

Anatomical term referring to the thigh.

Crural Region

Anatomical term referring to the anterior leg.

Sural Region

Anatomical term referring to the calf.

Tarsal Region

Anatomical term referring to the ankle.

Gluteal Region

Anatomical term referring to the buttock.

Plantar Region

Anatomical term referring to the sole of the foot.

Body Planes

Flat surfaces along which the body or body structures may be cut for anatomical study.

Sagittal Plane

A vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

A vertical plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) parts.

Transverse (Horizontal) Plane

A horizontal plane that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts.

Midsagittal Section

A sagittal cut made exactly along the midline of the body.

Parasagittal Section

A sagittal cut made off-center from the midline of the body.

Oblique Section

A cut made along a plane at an angle other than a right angle ($90^\circ$).

Dorsal Body Cavity

Posterior cavity that protects the nervous system, containing the cranial cavity and vertebral cavity.

Ventral Body Cavity

Anterior cavity holding the visceral organs, subdivided into the thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity.

Hernia

An abnormal condition where an organ protrudes from its designated body cavity.

Thoracic Cavity

Superior subdivision of the ventral body cavity containing two pleural cavities and the mediastinum.

Mediastinum

Central compartment of the thoracic cavity housing the esophagus, trachea, and pericardial cavity.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

Inferior subdivision of the ventral cavity beneath the diaphragm, containing the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.

Abdominopelvic Regions and Quadrants

Divisions of the abdominopelvic cavity used to locate organs, consisting of 9 regions and 4 quadrants (RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ).

Serous Membrane (Serosa)

Thin double-layered membranes covering walls and organs in thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities, separated by serous fluid.

Visceral Serosa

The layer of serous membrane that directly covers the external surfaces of organs within ventral body cavities.

Parietal Serosa

The layer of serous membrane that lines the internal walls of ventral body cavities.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Weight

The measure of mass plus the effects of gravity acting on it.

Solid

State of matter characterized by a definite shape and a definite volume.

Liquid

State of matter characterized by a changeable shape and a definite volume.

Gas

State of matter characterized by a changeable shape and a changeable volume.

Energy

The capacity to do work or put matter into motion.

Kinetic Energy

Energy in action.

Potential Energy

Stored or inactive energy.

Chemical Energy

Form of potential energy stored in the bonds of chemical substances.

Electrical Energy

Form of energy resulting from the movement of charged particles.

Mechanical Energy

Form of energy directly involved in moving matter.

Radiant (Electromagnetic) Energy

Energy that travels in waves, such as heat, visible light, ultraviolet light, and X-rays.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical methods.

Major Body Elements

The four elements that make up $96\%$ of the human body: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

Atom

The smallest particle of an element that retains its unique physical and chemical properties.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle contained in the nucleus with a mass of $1\,\text{amu}$.

Neutron

An uncharged (neutral) subatomic particle contained in the nucleus with a mass of $1\,\text{amu}$.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle orbiting the nucleus with virtually no mass ($0\,\text{amu}$).

Isotope

A structural variation of an element whose atoms have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, written as a subscript to the left of the atomic symbol.

Mass Number

The total sum of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, written as a superscript to the left of the atomic symbol.

Atomic Symbol

A 1-2 letter shorthand designation representing a specific element.

Radioisotope

An unstable isotope that spontaneously decomposes into a stable form, giving off subatomic particles and energy.

Radioactivity

The process of emitting energy and subatomic particles during the radioactive decay of an unstable atomic nucleus.

Molecule

The smallest particle of a substance that retains all physical and chemical properties of that substance, formed when two or more atoms chemically combine.

Compound

A specific type of molecule containing two or more different kinds of atoms bonded together.